


Conflict of Interest

by Descended_from_Hufflepuffs



Series: Super Soft Bros [1]
Category: Letterkenny (TV)
Genre: Bisexuality, But Katy helps, Fluff and Angst, Jonesy struggles, M/M, Reilly has issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 22:43:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16752862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Descended_from_Hufflepuffs/pseuds/Descended_from_Hufflepuffs
Summary: Jonesy has a secret that Reilly can never ever ever ever discover. What happens when all is revealed?





	1. The Secret

Reilly and Jonesy are best friends. They share everything with each other, from sandos to naptime.

 

Well, almost everything.

 

Jonesy walked to the front door and checked his hair in the mirror one last time before fishing his keys out of the pile of things near the door. This was becoming a more and more common occurrence. As far as Reilly knew, he was going to see a snipe in the big city that didn’t like to share and had no hot friends and that’s why Reilly can’t come with him please just let him take the Jeep. Reilly, as usual, asked no questions and simply raised a beer in acknowledgment while he watched _Sex in the City_ for the millionth time. 

 

Jonesy hopped in the Jeep as quickly as possible and sent a quick text to his date to confirm the bar they’re meeting at before starting the long drive. The trip never really got easier, no matter how many “shortcuts” he managed to find. He can never find a good parking space and he gets nearly run over at least twice each trip.

 

But all of that faded away when he finally saw the reason he came out to begin with, sitting there oh-so-perfectly on a bar stool, pretending he isn’t the most amazing person to exist. He casually slid up behind his boyfriend and ordered a beer for himself and whatever his lover wanted. “Hey, Snipe.”

 

Adrien smiled at him and pulled him down into a small kiss. “That’s my pet name for you, Sniper.” Jonesy blushed and sat on the stool next to him. “So? You’re also incredibly sexy,” he teased and took a long pull from his beer. Adrien chuckled. “True, very true. But you’re a better dancer.”

 

“You flatter me.” 

 

“It’s not flattery if it’s true.”

 

Jonesy shook his head with a smile. “Keep talking crazy and I won’t serenade you on the karaoke machine tonight.” Adrien faked a gasp. “Oh, no! I can’t live without hearing your beautiful voice.” Jonesy laughed and pecked him on the cheek. “Well, I suppose I could make an exception. Saving lives is important, you know.”

 

Adrien chuckled and took a sip of his cosmo. “You’re funny. I fucking love you.” Jonesy blushed a little darker and kissed him. “Fucking love you too, you fucking beauty.” Adrien grinned. “Why don’t you go serenade me on the karaoke machine now? I miss hearing you sing.”

 

Jonesy rolls his eyes. “You heard me just a few days ago.”

 

“And? That’s like a lifetime!”

 

Jonesy chuckled and kissed his cheek. “Should I record an album for you? You could hear me whenever you wanted to.”

 

Adrian fakes a pout. “Not the same, babe. Please go sing for me?”

 

“Of course, my love. I can’t resist your cute little pout.”

 

Adrian rolled his eyes as Jonesy took over the karaoke machine. As usual, he sang his heart out and was very appreciated by the bar patrons. He sang and danced, occasionally finding himself in a heated make-out session while someone else was on the mic, and basically had the time of his life.

 

A few hours later, they stumbled out of the bar into an Uber to Adrien’s apartment. Jonesy was drunk on love (and beer) and melted under Adriens’ wandering hands. By the time they made it up to his place, the hockey player was begging for more. “Please? I promise I’ll come by more often if you’ll just DO something!”

 

Adrien smirked and sucked yet another hickey into his neck. “What do you want me to do, babe?”

 

“Fuck…. Fuck me, please!”

 

Adrien dragged him into the bedroom and laid him out on the bed. He couldn’t help but smirk as Jonesy slowly came apart underneath him. Each round left him a little more undone until he was a whimpering mess and Adrien finally allowed him a break. “Such a good boy for me…. Get some sleep, you’ll need it in the morning.” Jonesy shuddered at the thought of what morning would bring and soon settled into a deep sleep.


	2. A little history

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jonesy reveals a few things about himself and his relationship with his bro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read this before you get to reading and start to hate me. 
> 
> The veiws expressed by Reilly in this chapter are not ones that I share, nor am I pulling them out of my ass. Based on the canon material presented to us in the show, Reilly doesn't appear to have that much respect for dudes who swing less than straight. Episode one, he turns Wayne being "ambidexrous" into an insult and texts Katy "UR BRO IS GAY! LMFAO!" I may be taking a little creative liberty with "bisexuals don't exist", but I don't think that's too far off the makr from how he might actually feel and also this is fanfiction so there.
> 
> As far as Jonesy's introspection, again, not just pulling shit out of my ass. Season 4 Jonesy without Reilly did come off as calmer and less of a showman than he was with Reilly. Reilly remained fairly unchanged. THis si just how I see and interpret the characters. If you don't agree, that's fine. But please do not leave hate comments telling me that I'm stupid and I don't know these characters at all blah blah blah.
> 
> Thank you and enjoy the show.

The next morning, he got a few texts from Reilly and Adrien fights every instinct he has not to look at them. Reilly has popped up on Jonesy’s phone many times and each time he’s brushed off Adrien’s questions. Maybe this time will be different.

 

Jonesy wakes up to soft kisses on his neck and a surprisingly large number of texts from Reilly asking where is he is with the Jeep. He groans and turns his phone off and rolls over to face Adrien. “Morning, babe.”

 

“Morning. What does Reilly want?”

 

“He wants his Jeep back but he can wait a little while longer,” Jonesy replies sleepily. Adrien nods and hums in thought. “So you and him are pretty close, huh?” The hockey player sighs. “Yeah, we’re buddies. Why do you ask?”

 

“Oh, no reason. He just texts you all the time and you never talk about him.” Jonesy rolled his eyes. “Jealous much? We’re just friends and even if I did like him that way, he’s straighter than a ruler so I wouldn’t get far there.” Adrien chuckled and nuzzled the other man. “‘M not jealous, just curious. You never talk about him but you always use his Jeep and he always pops up on your phone.”

 

“Not much to talk about. We’re best friends and he doesn’t really care what I do as long as I return the fuckin’ Tonka Truck and bring him a beer.” Jonesy rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and buried himself further under the blankets. “But it’s cold out there and super comfy right here so I’ll let him wonder for a while.”

 

“Wonder? Doesn’t he know where you are? If it’s his Jeep you should tell him where you’re going with it.”

 

“He knows where it is.”  _ Mostly…. _ “I guess I just slept in a little later today. But I’ll be back before praccy, so he’s got nothing to worry about.”

 

Adrien pressed a kiss to his forehead. “If you say so. You think maybe you could convince him to let you use it more often? I’d like to see my boyfriend more than once a week.”

 

“Mmmmmm, dunno. Once a week’s kind of a stretch as it is. He’s a little protective of it. Like, only slightly more protective than he is with his lucky socks.” Truth be told, he hated only seeing Adrien once a week too, but what could he do about it? He didn’t have his own car, never needed one, and his bike wouldn’t get him far coming up to the city. “I’ll talk to him though, maybe I can swing something.” 

 

“Mmmmmm, maybe I could come visit you,” Adrien murmured, slowly kissing down his neck. 

 

_ Shit. Shitshitshitshitshit that’s a Hard Fucking NO! _ “You? Come to Letterkenny? I-I don’t think that’s a good idea. I mean, There’s pretty much nothin’ to do except go out for drinks or fuck around.”

 

“So…what we do right now?”  _ Fuckfuckfuckfuck think of something! _ “Well, sort of. It’d just be pretty boring. At least around here we could pick up someone else.”

 

“You mean there’s no one else around there that would be interested in a quick hookup? No snipes you got wrapped around your finger?” Jonesy chuckled awkwardly. “Well, there’s a few but, uh, there’s not, uh, it’s just not a good idea, okay?”

 

“Well, why the fuck not?” Adrien leaned up on his arm. “We only ever see each other when you get a break from hockey and even then it’s only once a week. We’ve been together for over a year now and we’re basically just cuddlebuddies. I want more with you, baby.”

 

Jonesy sighed and rolled onto his back. “I know but… It’s complicated. I want more with you too but I’ve...got things to sort out first.” 

 

“Oh, like what?”

 

“Like...comingouttomyfriendsandadmittingIhaveaboyfriend.”

 

Adrien sat up fully and gave him a confused look. “What? Are you seriously telling me no one knows about this?” Jonesy shrugged and mumbled, “A couple people know, like my mom...and my ex Katy.”

 

“What about Reilly?”

 

The hockey player fell silent, staring at the pillows and wishing the mattress would just swallow him up. “I...He doesn’t know about us. He doesn’t know that I’m bi either and I’m not telling him anytime soon.”

 

It’s Adrien’s turn to be quiet. For a second, Jonesy’s afraid that he’d fucked up majorly, that he’d insulted one of the few people he truly cares about in this world. After a few moments, Adrien spoke up. “Why haven’t you told him? He’s your best friend, right? I figured he would’ve been the first person you told.”

 

“Nah, that was Katy. I only told her because she’d already kinda figured it out. I was gonna tell Reilly but…. He’s vocal about his opinions on that….”

 

_ Flashback _

_ This is it, today’s the day he comes out and finally admits his crush. He’s been pining after Reilly for a few years now and it’s about time he said something. At least, that’s what Katy said when she cornered him on it a few nights ago after one of their dates. No sense waitin’ and wonderin’ about him, so fuckin’ get after it. Just do it. _

_ Katy came out to them last night, testing the waters. He wouldn’t move forward unless he was sure Reilly’d accept this part of him. He took it pretty well, almost too well if we’re being honest. But that doesn’t matter. What does matter is praccy is over and they’re the last two in the locker room. They’re alone right now and once they leave it’ll be hours before he has another chance and he can’t stall any longer or it’ll never happen.  _

_ “Hey, buddy. Can we, uh, can we talk?” _

_ “Sure, bro. What’s up?” Reilly shuts his locker and leans up against it, tank thrown over his shoulder and his board shorts hanging just right. _ FOCUS!

_ “I, uh…How about Katy last night? Pretty sick that she’s into girls too, eh?” _

_ There’s that smirk. “So sick bro. It’s nice to find a girl that doesn’t mind sharing.” _

_ “Yeah, yeah. So sick. Meeting a snipe that swings both ways really...opens up the world. Do you ever...think about that stuff?” _

_ “Yeah, I think about Katy Kat bein’ with girls a lot.” _

_ “No, I meant like, you ever think you might, uh, go both ways?”   _ Why is this so hard…?

_ Reilly’s face scrunches up that way it does in Chemistry, when he doesn’t understand a damn thing but can’t even think how to form a question. “What are you talking about?” _

Fuck…. _ “I mean, have you ever like...been attracted to a guy?” _

_ “What? No! I’m not fucking gay!” _

This is bad…. _ “I know you’re not, but d’ya ever think you might be bi?” _

_ The blond snorts in that way, that very, very wrong way he does when he’s about to tell off a shmelt. “Buddy, look, girls don’t mind bein’ with other girls because girls are fucking hot. But whatever Katy Kat says, bisexual isn’t a thing. You’re either straight or you’re gay.” _

_ And there it goes. Any small amount of confidence Jonesy had is completely shot. He can’t come out now, he can’t admit anything now. He doesn’t need “Oh, it’s cool if you’re gay.” He doesn’t want THAT look he gives the shmeltz when they’re looking at a new puck bunny.  _ What a shit show this turned out to be….

_ He sort of zones out after that. He’s aware that he’s laughing it off, telling him to forget about it, just a dumb question, something he heard on the news or whatever. He’s aware that he’s packing up and sending a text to Katy asking for a ride. He’s aware that he’s lying about something with his mom, backing away from the Jeep and walking off to the old bus stop no one uses anymore. But it’s so...distant. He’s watching it all happen but he’s not entirely sure he’s the one doing it. _

_ Katy Kat arrives a few minutes after Reilly leaves and starts asking a hundred questions a minute. How’d it go? What did Reilly say? Did he finally stop beatin’ around the bush and make a move? Where’s Reilly? He doesn’t answer any of them, just tosses his back in the back and shakes his head, trying not to cry because he’s NOT falling apart over that dumbass. _

_ “Do you need a tissue, fuckin’ Sally? I swear, if you backed out again I’m gonna call him and tell him myself.” _

_ “NO! Don’t you fucking dare!” He knocks Katy’s phone out of her hand. “Just...leave it. There’s no point.” _

_ “What, is he straight and he broke your heart?” _

_ “Straight, yes. Heartbreaker, yes. Fuckin’ close-minded idiot who only accept your confession because of his sexual fantasies? Also yes. Person that I’m attracted to and would like to date anytime soon? Not anymore.” _

_ Katy’s eyes go a bit wide as he talks. “Fuck. Did he admit that before or after you said it?” _

_ “I didn’t say it at all. I figured I’d ask if he liked me like that too and it turns out I’m just a blind idiot who didn’t stand a chance to begin with.” _

_ “Did you even come out to him?” _

_ “Why the fuck would I come out to a prick who just told me he doesn’t believe I exist? That you’re either straight or you’re gay and there’s no inbetween? I’m not a fan of pain.” _

_ Katy pats his shoulder a couple times and starts up the truck. They drive in silence for a while before she asks where he wants to go. She doesn’t mind giving him the spare room for a couple nights if he’d rather not go back to his and Reilly’s place and Wayne probably won’t mind if he does some chorin’. After a few seconds of silence he agrees. He needs some space to think and at least the hicks’ chirping will bring him a little normalcy. _

_ Return _

 

Jonesy didn’t see much of a point in talking about the next couple days. They were pretty boring and they didn’t help as much as he’d hoped. “That’s that. I saw him at praccy a couple days later and just acted like nothing happened.”

__

Adrien narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw. This Reilly character hurt his supposed best friend and apparently had no idea. Doesn’t matter that they lived together, played together, worked together. He just didn’t see it. Is he really that fucking dense? “Why are you still friends with him then? If he won’t accept you, you should just leave him. Stay with Katy for a while, find a new place. Hell, you could move in here if you wanted!”

__

That was a question he heard a lot. He heard it from Katy nearly every day, he heard it from the hicks during his short stay on the farm, he even heard it from Coach a time or two. He never really had a good answer for it, he just knew that he couldn’t. Jonesy shakes his head. “It’s not like he meant to hurt me. Besides, I don’t really have anyone else. We’ve been friends since we were in 4-6 year old hockey camp. He’s just so...there...in my life. Not sure I could leave him behind even I wanted to.”

__

“Why don’t you want to?”

__

“Well, he’s my ride, he helps pay rent on the house and he makes a good wingman. I just...I don’t know anymore.” See, most people understood their friendship because most people saw them together. When he was with Reilly, they were birds of a feather, same style, same speech pattern, same everything. But when he was alone, Jonesy was...calmer. Katy would say he’s half-decent and Wayne would even go as far as to say he’s not s’bad. His mum would even say he’s the best guy in town (but even she knows that’d be Wayne). But as soon as Reilly came around with all that bravado and charm and sick flow, Jonesy would just...slip into character, in a way. He wasn’t sure why he did it. Maybe it was for the fame, the flirts. Or maybe he was just an idiot.

__

Yeah, that’s probably it.

__

Adrien shook his head. “If I held on to toxic friends just because we’d known each other forever, I wouldn’t be here with you right now. I’m not telling you what to do, but maybe think about whether Reilly’s actually worth your time when you go home.”

__

Jonesy nodded and pulled him down for a soft kiss. They lay in bed for a while longer before getting up and enjoying a little shower fun. Jonesy “borrowed” one of Adrien’s scarves to hide his many, many hickeys and got an Uber back to the bar to pick up the Jeep and head home. If the number of texts and missed calls on his phone was any indicator, he was in for a real verbal tilly when he got there.


	3. Rest and Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reilly has a lot of questions and Jonesy has a hard time giving answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Reilly introspection in this one because I know he was a real ass in the last chapter but he really does care about his buddy.

 

Reilly was not happy. Not at all. If Jonesy didn’t get back to the house in the next fifteen minutes, they’d be late for practice and he really didn’t need Coach riding on them for being late. They weren’t playing anymore, but even coaches have to follow rules.

 

Finally, FINALLY, he heard the Jeep pull up and the radio cut out. He was out the door in seconds and giving him a real what-for, not giving a damn who heard. Jonesy had expected this and just took it all in stride. Knowing Reilly, he’d forget about the whole thing before practice was over and then they could start a ‘chel tournament before crushing a couple sandos and dinner and going to bed. A simple “Sorry, slept in a bit won’t happen again, love ya bro” later, Reilly was at the wheel and they headed for the rink.

 

Of course, this would be the one time Reilly just wouldn’t let it go. “Seriously, what the fuck was that? We were almost late! Do you _want_ Coach to start launching trash bins at us again? I was just getting used to not being in danger of getting trash to the face!”

 

“Okay, first of all, we weren’t late, we were actually a few minutes early. Second, if Coach gets pissed at us for something that’s my fault, I’ll handle it. Your face will be fine.” _Not to mention all those times I bailed you out when you smoked weed in the locker room…._ “Have a little faith, alright? He didn’t seem too mad. Let’s just grab a couple sandos and go home for a ‘chel tournament, kay?”

 

“....Fine, but you’re buying.” Reilly was not ready to let this go. To tell the truth, he was more worried than angry. He knew that what Jonesy did during his own time was none of his business but the other player had seemed a little spaced out during praccy, like his mind was somewhere else. He’d seemed to be having an argument with himself in the locker room a few times during breaks, but brushed off any questions. That didn’t make any sense. He and Jonesy talked about everything. Everything. There were never any secrets between them. Never. What the hell was going on?

 

When they got home, the blond figured he’d try again. “Buddy, Did something happen with that snipe in the city? You’ve been a little off today.”

 

“Have I, buddy? Don’t mean to be….” _Fuck, am I being that obvious…?_

 

“Yeah. I mean, it’s okay to have off days but you seemed really preoccupied. Is everything okay? Something on your mind that you might wanna talk about?” _Please talk to me…._ His mom did some weird stuff like this before she owned up to fucking Shoresy. _It can’t be that bad...can it?_

 

He bit his lip and thought about what to say next. Here was the problem. Yes, Jonesy would love to talk to Reilly. He’s his best buddy and not even Katy could really listen like he did. As loud and self-centered as Reilly was, when it came to the people he cared about he was really soft. He could just say he was really into this snipe, thought about making it more serious and so did they. But would that start a whole nother conversation about meeting her? He’d have to admit Adrien’s a guy and he really doesn’t want to have the ‘I’m not gay I’m bi yes bisexuals do exist please fuck off with your close-minded bullshit’ conversation right now. And then what if Reilly hated him for keeping it a secret for so long? He was lucky Adrien hadn’t been insulted by that…. He tried to find the right way to say this without sounding too off, but was there even a point? Maybe he should just focus on the game. Wait, has he actually said anything?

 

_Okay, something’s definitely up._ Reilly paused the game and worriedly watched his friend’s fingers move over the controls for a bit longer, almost as if he was too far in his head to realize it. “Seriously, what’s wrong?”

 

Jonesy snapped out of his head. He stared at the screen and sighed, setting the controller down. “I...I don’t know. Things have...changed with me and my b-Snipe. And I’m not sure where to go from there.”

 

“Changed how?”

 

“They want to be a little more serious than we are right now. Like, commitment and all that stuff.”

 

Reilly winced. “Well, that’s kind of a mood killer. Unless...you thinkin’ you might want that too, buddy?”

 

“Sort of? I really like this one, like Katy Kat levels, you know. But I-I’m not any good at that and they’re just...I don’t want either of us to regret it.”

 

He’s not entire sure what Jonesy is saying, but at least there’s a conversation, they’re getting somewhere. “You worried about taking it too far? I mean, you’ve been seeing her for about a year now. If you wanna move forward, I don’t think it’s a bad idea. I’m sure she’d love Letterkenny.”

 

That. That’s an issue. Who would be moving where? “I’m not sure they’re coming to Letterkenny. I might end up moving up there. And I’m not sure I want that.”

 

_Ah, there we are._ Reilly’s a little more relieved now as they seem to have come to the crux of the problem. “Maybe next time you see her you should ask how she feels about moving out here. You got a job and friends down here; does she really have anything holding her in the city?”

 

“Not that I know of. I know they have friends and all that but I’m not sure if there’s anything more concrete.” He knew Adrien doesn’t have much holding him to the city, aside from the better wifi for his animation channel. Still, would he be willing to move out here? He was willing to spend the night but that completely different from straight up moving.

 

“Well, talk to her about it before you decide anything for yourself. If she’ll move out here for you, there’s nothing to worry about. If she makes you move out there, maybe she ain’t the girl.” He really wanted Jonesy to stay in Letterkenny, but if he decided he’ll be happier with this girl in the city, he wouldn’t mind...too much. Sure, he’d get a little lonely, but that wouldn’t be the end of the world. He could always visit.

  
“Yeah...maybe I’ll do that.” Jonesy started to remember exactly why Reilly was his best friend, something he’d sort of forgotten over the past year. He really was a great guy, even if most other people didn’t see past the bravado and idiocy. _Maybe I should just tell him. I mean, it has been a while since the last time...he’s grown up a bit…._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, bg cliffhanger at the end. Confessions are coming soon, but I want to work in some scenes with Katy and the boys before that happens and I'd rather make that it's own separate thing than try to shoehorn it in here. Thanks for reading!


	4. Moving Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katy and Jonesy have a talk. Reilly is concerned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little short and it more a trailer for the next chapter than anything else, but it needed to be seen. Enjoy!

He didn’t tell Reilly that night, because he’s still a nervous boi in this area and would rather crash and burn with someone that didn’t have as much of an impact on his life. Instead, he called up Kay after praccy and asked if they could talk. He left a short note for Reilly while he was in the shower and met Katy outside the gym.

 

“Grab a fuckin’ Puppers and start talking.”

 

Always straight to the point, that’s Katy Kat. “I think I’m gonna try again.”

 

“Try what again?”

 

“Telling Reilly.”

 

Katy shook her head. “Are you sure? Last time it went really fucking poorly. Beyond poorly. Borderline apocalyptic.”

 

“Last time I was young and stupid and heartbroken. Now I’m older, slightly less stupid, and kind of in love.”

 

Katy’s eyes went more than a little wide. “You better be talkin’ about that city boy you somehow roped into liking you or I swear, I’ll end your suffering right here and now.”

 

“No, I’m talking about Glen.” Jonesy said sarcastically and rolled his eyes. “Yes, I mean Adrien!”

 

“Thank Christ. Anyway, are you sure you’re up to the task? You barely got over the last disaster a few months ago.”

 

“....I got over it earlier than that. Anyway, I have to at some point. Reilly may not be bright, but he’s not blind.”

 

Katy rolled her eyes and started driving. “Depends on what you want him to see,” she mumbled. “How are you gonna go about it? Beat around the bush or upfront?”

 

Jonesy shrugged. “Figured I’d just come out with it, no need to save myself from any heartbreak this time around.”

 

“When are you going to break the news that there’s another man in your life?”

 

“Not sure yet. It’ll be soon though. By the way, can I borrow your truck? I need to see Adrien tomorrow and I can’t us the Jeep again for awhile.”

 

“Oh?” She cocked an eyebrow. “Why do you need to see him tomorrow? Some big plans coming up?”

 

“Maybe. Depends on how tomorrow goes.” Jonesy winked and downed the rest of his beer as they pulled up to his and Reilly’s place.

 

Katy shrugged. “I guess I can let you use it just this once. But if there’s so much as a scratch on it, you’re paying for it.”

 

“That’s fair. Later Katy Kat.” He hopped out and walked into the house. Reilly was sitting on the couch setting up a ‘chel tourney and there was the distinct smell of leftover lasagna coming from the kitchen. “Hey, are we celebrating somethin’ tonight, bro?”

 

“No, not really. Just don’t have anything else to do tonight and that’s all we have in the fridge.” That wasn’t quite true. After all, Modean’s was always a good time and believe it or not Reilly could cook. He just chose not too because why would you when your mom brought stuff over every other day? He just figured he and Jonesy could use a little bro time after the last couple days. Between hockey and whatever the hell he and Katy were up to, he felt like his bromance tank was a little empty.

 

“Oh, okay. That sounds cool. Lemme just unpack and I’ll be right back.” This is it...Now or never...Tell him now, nothing to stop you, what could go wrong…..?

 

Except he said nothing. _We’re eating, I’ll tell him when he’s finished….’Chel requires a lot of attention and it’d be rude to drop it now…._ Oops _, he’s asleep….No point in waking him up for it…._ “I’m such a fucking coward,” he whispered to himself, curled up under the covers. He had to get over this bump in the road. At this point, he really has nothing to lose. If Reilly can be decent about it, he can move in with Adrien and if he can he’s still free to do what he wants. So why the hesitation? _What’s the point of preserving a friendship if it’s not honest? If he won’t accept me, I don’t need to be with him anyway. So...why_ not _just go for it?_

 

Meanwhile, Reilly was in his bed, pretending to sleep. _What’s he hiding? Why won’t he tell me? Would it be wrong for me to push him? It’s clearly bothering him, he hardly said a word all night….Maybe Katy knows…. But would it even be okay for me to go over his head like that?_ The whole night Jonesy seemed nervous and on edge. He looked ready to say something a couple times but either stayed quiet. Just like at practice the other day, any questions were brushed off and he didn’t seem ready to open up anytime soon. Had things gone wrong with that Big City Slam? Maybe he should just wait….or…. _I’ll run into her tomorrow at the dollar store, I’ll ask her then. Can’t hurt, right?_ Worst case scenario, he doesn’t learn anything new, right?


	5. An Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reilly is finally let in the loop and things don't go too well from there

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got all this down! It's long, but a lot needed to happen in this chapter so I don't really care about that. 
> 
> Beta'd by the lovely whatdoyoumeanitsnotawesome
> 
> [Not the end of this story]

The next day was Reilly and Jonesy’s chore day. Laundry, cleaning, and grocery shopping ferda. Reilly decided to take the opportunity to talk to Katy alone and try to get some answers. He finds her at the dollar store, stocking up on sour candies.

 

“Hey, Katy Kat.”

 

“Reilly. Where’s Jonesy?”

 

“Cleaning the house. Good thing too, he does that deep clean that makes our mums proud. When I do it, he just has to do it over again. Anyway, can we talk about something?”

 

Katy hummed and nodded while she looked over her sour candy options. “Sure, got nothing better to do. What’s up?”

 

Reilly rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, uh, Jonesy’s been acting a little weird lately. We talked a few nights ago about this snipe he’s being seeing in the city and it seemed like he was doing better. Then he got all weird again last night and… I-He… I just didn’t expect that from him. We’ve always been so in sync, ya know? And now it’s like I don’t even know him anymore. What should I do?” He just needed her to tell him what to do, how to get Jonesy to open up to him. If the last week was anything to go by, she probably knew his buddy better than he did at this point.

 

Katy was a little surprised to hear that. She hadn’t expected Jonesy to jump off that cliff so soon; maybe he had more balls than she thought.  _ Atta boy. Straight to the point, just like I raised you... _ Of course, now there was the issue of Reilly. She knew Jonesy’s hesitation had always been  _ What would Reilly think? Would he still want me around, would he think I’m weird, would he throw me out? _ Basically every reaction no one should have to worry about from their supposed best friend. And if Reilly’s reaction was anything to go by, the other boy had a right to be concerned. All she could do now was damage control. “Well, I hope you were a little nicer to his face when he told you. This is the whole reason he stayed quiet about it, him being worried about how you would react. Honestly, with the way you’re acting anyone’d think Jonesy came out as a cannibal instead of  bisexual! It’s not that hard of a concept to grasp, even for you. And you should give him props for actually saying something this time instead of chickening out like he did in high school. And I hope you apologised for all that shit you said back then too. Fuckin’ inbred, I swear…” She finally settled on a bag of sour jelly beans, unaware of the mess she just started.

 

_ Came out? Bisexual? HIGH SCHOOL?! _ “Um...Katy? What are you talking about?”

 

_ What am I talking...Oh...OH! Oh shit…. _ “What? Nothing. Forget I said anything.” This was bad. This was really, really bad. Unless, maybe Jonesy had just been paranoid? Yeah, that was a possibility. After all, what kind of friend would actually be such a douche to someone they professed to care about so much.

 

He would gladly forget she said anything, if she had, in fact, not said anything. But she did say something. No, scratch that, she dropped a major bombshell right in his lap and his hands were tied behind his back so there was no way he could possibly defuse it before it blew him up. This couldn’t be happening, none of it. He and Jonesy didn’t keep secrets from each other. They didn’t make each other feel bad, like they had to hide something. Neither of them ever did that, ever. And they always noticed when it happened by accident. Always. He always knew when his best bro was struggling. There’s no way this could be true. It just isn’t possible. There’s no way. But Katy never lied. She might leave you behind and say some really mean shit, but she never lied. So it had to be true.  _ It had to be true… _ Of all the things that had to be true, why did him seriously hurting Jonesy, his  _ only friend _ , have to be one of them? What kind of friend was he? How could he completely level his friend like that and not notice? 

 

“Forget about what?” Reilly asked. “Forget that things are worse than I thought? Forget that my buddy chose  _ you _ for this secret instead of me? Forget that apparently he’s so fucking scared of me finding out that he couldn’t say a  _ goddamn _ word to me last night? Forget that he’s been lying to me? Forget that apparently the reason he’s been going through all this shit is because of something  _ I _ said?” The idea, the very thought that he would do this, willingly no less, made his heart clench. “What part of forgetting that is supposed to make this situation better, Katy?”

 

Katy swallowed hard and looked him straight in the eyes. “Don’t give me that attitude. If it wasn’t for your ignorant bullshit back in high school, this wouldn’t be happening. He wouldn’t’ve been so nervous to tell you and you’d probably be going on double dates by now. So, here’s what you’re gonna do-”

 

“No.” She had no right to tell him what to do, not when  _ she knew. _ She fucking knew this whole time and she didn’t even think it was important to drop him a hint. “You don’t get to give me advice right now, not after your part in this.”

 

“My part?” She can’t believe what she’s hearing. “Since when is you breaking your supposed best friend’s heart my fault? I convinced him to try coming out to you in the first place. You fucked up, not me. I’m the one who held his hand and told him everything was going to be okay. I’m the one who handed him a box of tissues when he needed it. And do you know why he needed it? Because of you!” She poked him hard in the chest, face scrunched up in anger. “So you don’t get to tell me about ‘my part’ in all this. I know my part. You’re the one who can’t accept yours.”

 

The rational part of Reilly knew she was right. He’d caused Jonesy a lot of hurt and blaming other people wasn’t going to do anyone any favors. But the other, larger part of Reilly couldn’t handle that right then. He couldn’t handle the idea that he hurt his buddy or made him upset in any way. He didn’t want to think about what kind of friend that made him where he would do that and not notice something was wrong. He suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe, there was just this gigantic weight on his chest and nothing on earth could possibly move it. All he could do was stand there, silent, as his entire body just went numb. He knew he should say something, try to protest or even just accept. But he couldn’t. His mouth refused to form the right words and that suffocating feeling just got stronger and stronger. The best he could do is mumble a half-hearted goodbye and stumble out of the store because  _ he needed air, and he needed it now _ . 

 

He hopped in his Jeep and just sat there for a second. He thought about everything he just heard, the accusations thrown at him. Again, the rational part of his brain told him to go back in and apologize to Katy, then go home and have a much needed talk with Jonesy. And again, the larger part of his brain pointed out that  _ Jonesy  _ was the one kept the secret.  _ Jonesy _ was the one who didn’t trust him.  _ Jonesy _ was the one who thought he was such a horrible friend. And  _ Katy _ kept the secret too.  _ Katy  _ blamed this whole thing on him, when clearly there were more players on the ice here. It was wrong of anyone to place all of the blame on him. After all, how could he be a supportive friend if he didn’t even know something was wrong? How dare they put all this on him? He and Jonesy definitely needed to have a talk and they needed to have it now.

 

Katy watched him leave, a little confused but still pissed as hell, and called Jonesy to give him a warning. 

 

Jonesy was cleaning out the bathroom when he heard the phone ring.  _ Of course, always when I’m knee deep in Reilly’s weekly shed…. _ “‘Sup, Katy Kat?”

 

“Warning, Hurricane Reilly headed right for you.”

 

“Why? Did they run out of Puppers and Gus‘n’Bru down there or something?”

 

“Or something. I’m sorry, really sorry. It’s kind of my fault. I mean, it’s more his than mine, but I played my part.”

 

That did not bode well. “What happened? Did  _ you  _ take the last Puppers?”

 

Katy sighed. “He came to me to ask what he should do because you were a little off last night, but the way he said it made it sound like you’d come out to him and so I told him off for being a little prick about the whole thing and outed you by accident. I’m really sorry.”

 

Jonesy went silent for a few seconds. He wasn’t sure who he was more mad at: himself for not coming out with it sooner, or Reilly for being an ignorant ass in the first place. “Thanks for letting me know,” was all he had time to get out before he heard the jeep pull up in the driveway. “Gotta go, Hurricane Reilly’s made landfall. We’ll talk later.” 

 

Jonesy needed a second to think before Reilly came in. Knowing him, he’d just jump straight into it.  _ Okay, first things first, get everything cleaned up,  _ he thought, desperate for a small distraction. He finished up the bathroom as quickly as he could, but he was still left with barely enough time to pull his gloves off before he heard pounding on the porch steps.  _ Fuck, not yet, not yet not yet…. _

 

Reilly stormed into the house, not caring that he was tracking dirt onto the freshly cleaned floor. There were more important things to worry about. “Jonesy, can we talk? We need to talk. Now.”

 

“Sure, buddy. Let me just fin-”

 

“No. We need to talk  _ now _ . Right now.”

 

_ Okay then… so much for preparing myself _ . “Well, if you really think we need to talk right now…” Jonesy tried to hide how badly his hands were shaking by putting away all his cleaning supplies. Why was Reilly so upset? He knew the bisexual thing had probably been a shock, but of all the scenarios he’d agonized over on sleepless nights, angry Reilly hadn’t been among them. He stalled as much as he could, trying to get himself under control so he could actually think of how to approach this. 

 

Reilly spent this time pacing the front room. Even his footsteps seemed angry as he managed to get his breathing down to a normal level. At this rate, he might just burst. His mind was a warzone: half trying to calm down and face the reality of the situation, half too pissed off to care anyhow and focusing on all the ways he was Not Wrong. He wasn’t entirely sure which side was right, but he wasn’t going to give himself time to think about it. “Anytime you wanna man up and come out here would be great!”

 

Jonesy closed his eyes, took a deep breath and emerged from his hiding spot, trying for all the world not to look half as worried as he was. “Katy called and told me you were pissed off. I don’t know why, but I’d love to hear your explanation.”

 

“Why am I pissed? I’ll tell you why I’m pissed. I’m pissed because you don’t trust me! You think I’m a shitty friend and you didn’t even bother to tell me! You just kept your little secret and let me live on like nothing was wrong. How am I supposed to be a good friend if you don’t open up to me?” How did Jonesy not understand something so obvious? He’s the smart one, right?

 

That accusation hit Jonesy like a Senior A Native in the gut. Even if he knew it wasn’t true, that Reilly was just making a bunch of excuses for his own shitty behavior, he couldn’t help but see Reilly’s point. He’d just left him in the dark these past few years instead of opening up and giving him a chance to redeem himself.  _ Am I a bad friend? _ … _ No! Don’t think like that. He gave you plenty of reason to hide. Fuck, I wish Katy Kat was here. What would she do…?  _ “W-Well,I mean, you did give me reason to hide this, buddy. When I tried telling you in grade ten-”

 

“When did you try to tell me? When? And what exactly did I do to make you back out and run away like a fucking sally?” Reilly racked his brain for any time this could have come up, but nothing really stuck out to him. “I honestly can’t remember this coming up before now.” 

 

Jonesy stared at him in pure disbelief. “Seriously? You don’t remember?”

 

“No, I don’t.”

 

“Remember when Katy Kat came out? And then the next day I brought it up in the locker room and you said all that ‘you’re either straight or you’re gay no in between’ crap?”

 

“N-  _ Oohhhhhhh _ ….”  _ That’s what he was getting at…. _ “Hang on, then why’d you ask me if I was into dudes? Why didn’t you just come out and say it? If I’d known that’s where you were going, I never would have said that shit.”

 

“But you’d still believe it.”

 

“That’s not the point.”

 

“Actually, it kind of is,” he snapped. “The whole reason Katy even came out was to test the waters so I wouldn’t be so nervous about telling you.” Jonesy was more than a little upset at this point.  _ This guy comes in here like he has any sort of moral high ground, tries to make me feel like shit, and acts like hidden bullshit isn’t bullshit. The fuck? _

 

“Whatever. You still didn’t answer my question.”

 

“I don’t have to, my hesitation is none of your business.”

 

“Actually, seeing as the whole reason you hesitated was because of me, I think I’m owed an answer,” Reilly replied with just as much bite.  _ ‘None of your business’ my ass.  _ “We’re bros, everything is my business.” 

 

Whatever confidence Jonesy had now was slowly dwindling as he realized Reilly wasn’t going to let this point go. His heart pounded at the idea of Reilly knowing about his crush, but in a much different way than it did back in grade ten. Back then, he still had hope and he could pretend Reilly felt the same way and nothing would go wrong once he knew. Now, he wasn’t sure what to expect. Would he be angry? Disgusted? Would he call Jonesy a pervert for hiding this from him like that? He knew he had to say something because the longer he kept silent, the angrier Reilly seemed to get.

 

“Would you fucking answer me already? I know your track record with honesty in this relationship isn’t the best, but I figured at least for this you wouldn’t try to make something up.”

 

“I-No! I’m not making anything up I just…. You’re making me nervous, buddy…,” he managed to croak out. He was not ready for this conversation. He needed more time. He needed Katy to tell him what to say or at least distract Reilly from this so he could take a second to  _ fucking breathe. _

 

Reilly started pacing again. “Oh, I’m making you nervous? Well, if you would answer me, I could back off and we’d probably already be done with this conversation!”

 

“I-IhadacrushonyoubackthenandIjustwantedtobesurebeforeIsaidanything.”  _ Please don’t hate me please don’t hate me please don’t hate me... _

 

Reilly stopped in his tracks and slowly processed what he just heard.  _ What. The actual. FUCK?! _ “You had a  _ crush  _ on me. And decided to come out to me as some sort of confession. And then you didn’t because I hurt your feelings. And you’ve kept this a secret for nearly five years.” He spoke in a low, monotone voice, refusing to look at his supposed friend.

 

_ ….He hates me. _ “Look, I-”

 

“You  _ what _ ?” Reilly nearly yelled. He whipped around to glare at Jonesy. “What? You had other plans? You forgot? What exactly happened? Please, enlighten me as to why you decided just keeping this shit a secret from me was a good idea.”

 

_ And now I’m starting to hate you. _ Jonesy clenched his fists and it was a miracle he didn’t start swinging. He grit his teeth and met Reilly’s glare with his own. “You happened! You and your little speech happened and broke my fucking heart! I was already nervous about telling you and then you go on this little trip down fuck-you-and-your-sexuality lane and completely shut that whole idea down!” He paused and took a few breaths to calm down for he said something he’d regret. “Do you really think I would open up to you about that ever again? Put yourself in my shoes for a second,” Jonesy pleaded. “How would you feel if the most important person in your life told you something about you didn’t exist?” He fixed his gaze on the floor and desperately blinked back the tears that threatened to fall.  _ No, you’re not crying over this jackass. Not again.  _ “Besides, it’s not like I still had a crush on you after that anyway. No more secrets you ‘needed’ to know about.”

 

Reilly really didn’t know how to answer that. All he could focus on was how hurt and broken Jonesy sounded and the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach and that awful,  _ awful _ weight on his chest has come back and  _ fuck, now he can barely breathe _ . His mind was running at a mile a minute, grasping at any way to dig himself out of this dark hole of guilt and shock. If he’d only  _ known _ … If Jonesy had just said  _ something _ he’d have apologized. But he hadn’t been given that chance. Jonesy kept quiet and didn’t grant him the chance to redeem himself. “I didn’t say any of that to hurt you. I  _ never _ wanted to hurt you. I said it because it’s what I think. If you’d just told me-”

 

“Would you have accepted it?”

 

“What?”

 

“Would you really have accepted it? Would you really have meant your apology? Or would I be wondering if you were going behind my back, calling me names and shit?”

 

Reilly was absolutely floored at the accusation. “... Do you really think I would do that to you? You’re my bro, my buddy, my brother, my  _ best fucking friend _ ! You really think that? Is that the kind of friend you think I am?” He didn’t know if he was mad or just shocked.  _ What did I do to make him think that...? _

 

“I-I don’t know.” Jonesy couldn’t deny that that fear had been in the back of his mind for a while, but he wasn’t sure if he believed it or not. 

 

With that, Reilly’s heart sank down to rock-bottom. His buddy, his bro, his  _ fucking best friend _ really thought that about him. Why? What did he do? Yeah, he said some really bad shit in the past, but he hadn’t meant to hurt Jonesy. It was just a coincidence. And, yeah, he’d been a bit of an ass today but he had good reason to be upset, right? “... Then why are you still here?” he asks in almost a whisper.

 

“What?”

 

“If you seriously think so  _ fucking poorly _ of me, then why are you still here? Why don’t you go find some new friends? People you won’t assume the absolute worst of and leave in the dark and pretend nothing’s wrong with. You know, someone you might actually enjoy being around because that’s  _ clearly  _ not me.”

  
“I-you…” Jonesy had never seriously called their friendship into question until now, he’d never thought it was necessary. But now…  “I just… we’ve been together for so long, I never really thought about it, I guess.”

 

“Well, maybe you should have.” Reilly croaked out. He swallowed hard and tried to not look like he was about to cry. “Maybe you should have called me out on my bullshit at some point, or let me know something was wrong so I could’ve fixed it, and you wouldn’t have been bottling all this up for years.”

 

“I-I just… ” Jonesy sighed and sat on the couch, head in his hands. “... Maybe you’re right. I should’ve said something. Or at least have been cowardly enough to leave without an explanation.”

 

Neither of them said anything for a few minutes. Reilly listened to the clock ticking in the background and all he really had the energy to do was think. And it hurt. All of his stalling hadn’t done him any good. The realization of what he’d done hit him full force like a freight train.  _ Jonesy was fine. I fucked it up and was too stupid to see what I’d done, too fucking blind to even look. I should get out of his way…  _  “Maybe… we should take a break… ” He spoke quietly, tears evident in his voice. 

 

“Take a break?”

 

“Y-Yeah. I… I don’t think you need me around right now.”

 

Jonesy couldn’t really believe what he was hearing. “Wh-What do you mean?”

 

Reilly didn’t answer. He just put his key on the coffee table and went back to his room to pack a bag.

 

Now, he was really concerned. “Reilly? Buddy? Where are you going?”

 

“Somewhere where I won’t be in your way. I’m clearly not doing you any favors right now. This is probably for the best… ” He could always go back home. Or Ronsy and Daxy might lend him their couch. Or maybe Katy doesn’t hate him too much.

 

“B-Reilly, I… You don’t have to.”

 

Reilly slowly turned to look at him. “No, I think I do. I…  _ fuck _ I messed up. I messed up in more ways than anyone should and you didn’t deserve it. I’ve been such a shit friend that you don’t even trust me to fix my own mistakes and I’m sorry. I think I should just go away for a while… Not for long, but I… I have some thinking to do.”

 

“I messed up too, buddy. You can st-” 

 

“No. I have to do this and it’ll probably be good for you too.” Reilly grabbed his packed suitcase and started walking out.  _ You wish you’d left me. I need to go… _

 

Jonesy probably could have stopped him. Ran out the door, blocked his Jeep, locked him in the house, done  _ anything _ . But he didn’t. He couldn’t. He was frozen in place. Part of him was afraid Reilly didn’t mean it, that he was actually leaving forever. Part of him was kind of happy to have it all out and over with and now he can do what he wants with who he wants. But mostly, he was heartbroken. His buddy, his bro, his  _ best fucking friend  _ was leaving him because of something  _ he  _ said.  _ What am I gonna do now…? _

 

Reilly expected more resistance than this. He expected Jonesy to come running after him, tell him to stay, they’d work it out and have a ‘chel tourney running by sundown. But that didn’t happen. He stalled a little getting himself packed up in the Jeep, but nothing happened.  _ See you later, buddy… I hope…  _

 


	6. Time to get the Boys Back Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been three weeks and everyone just wants it to be over. Katy's tired of watching them walk on eggshells around each other. Reilly is in desperate need of a long talk with his bro. Jonesy just wants him to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovelies! A new chapter is in and I'm pumped for the next one. I'm just planning on one or two more chapters, so you won't be held in total suspense for much longer! As always comments and kudos are welcome!
> 
> Beta'd be the lovely whatdoyoumeanitsnotawesome

It’s been three weeks.

 

Three weeks since Reilly left.

 

Three weeks since Jonesy watched him leave through the blur of tears.

 

Three weeks since Katy called to tell Reilly off for breaking his friend’s heart  _ again _ and apologized for snapping when he started crying

 

Three weeks since Reilly moved back in with his mum and has had to hear her and Shoresy going at it in the next room every other night.

 

Three weeks since either of them have said a word to each other.

 

It wasn’t that they didn’t  _ want _ to talk to each other; they did, they really did. But every time they tried… neither of them really knew what to say. At the gym, at Modean’s, at the dollar store, at the rink, everywhere they ran into each other had a similar script: cautious eye contact, stand in front of each other for a few seconds, try to say something, give up, and walk away.

 

Katy was really fucking tired of watching it.

 

“It’s fucking pathetic. The most pathetic thing I’ve ever seen. I just wanna lock them in a room and  _ make _ them talk!” She fell back against the lawn chair and downed the rest of her puppers. 

 

“Not so sures about the ethics there, Miss Katys,” Dan started. “I knows you feels a little guiltys over your part in alls this, but at the ends of the days, it’s betweens Reilly and Jonesy and no ones else.”

 

“Yawannaknowhat? He’s got a point,” Wayne chimed in. “I’m just as tired of watching ‘em dig their feet in the sand as you are but the way things are goin’, lockin’ them in a room until they talk just might end up a murder case.”

 

Daryl nodded in agreement. “Gettin’ in a couples spat like that doesn’t do anyone any favors. Best case scenario, nothing changes, but your more likely to make it worse if you try to force anything.”

 

Katy groaned. “Then what am I supposed to do?”

 

“Well, who says you have to do anything?” Wayne inquired. “Not your pig, not your farm. Let them sort it out.”

 

Katy glared at him. “You know full well that I’ve got both of them calling me pertnear everyday bemoaning their lot in life. They’ve  _ made  _ it my pig.”

 

“I also know full well you’re about two Puppers away from blocking those nutsacks on all methods of communication because of those calls, and I still don’t understand why you’re not doing it.”

 

“Because I can’t. There’s no way they’re actually gonna get through this without me.”

 

“Wells’not exactly like they’re gettin’ through it with ya.”

 

Katy rolled her eyes. “Really not helping, big brother.”

 

“Really not tryin’ to, Katy.”

 

“Miss Katy,” Dan started. “May I makes a suggestions?”

 

She shrugged. “Go ahead. Not like I got any ideas.”

 

“Why don’t yous try talkings to them abouts it? They have to comes together on their owns, but right nows they’re probablies just havin’s a little pity parties for themselves. You can’ts makes them be friends agains, but you can be a friends for them.”

 

She gave him a hard side-eye. “I literally just said they call about it all the time and I listen to it. What else am I supposed to do?”

 

“Well, are yous actually listens to ‘em and engagin’s with ‘em or are ya just lettin’s ‘em ramble on while you do somethin’s else?”

 

“I just let them talk it out with themselves. Why?”

 

“Well, then your not reallys listenin’, are ya? Ya see, just lettin’ ‘em rambles on like that is not doin’s ‘em any favors as they’re just voicin’s all their negatives thoughts and opinions and not gettin’s any counters arguments or helpfuls advice. All they’re really doin’s is gettin’ themselves even more sads and depresseds than they were before.” 

 

“Is that another drop of wisdom from Professor Trisha or did you come up with that on your own?” Joking aside, she did see Dan’s point. The likelihood of Reilly and Jonesy initiating interaction between themselves was dropping with each passing day. They’d likely never get around to it if she didn’t give them a good kick in the ass.

 

On the other side of town, Reilly was laying in bed while he tried to block out the noise coming from the next room. “Like rabbits. Mix in a water break for fuck’s sake,” he mumbled to himself as he swiped through the many, many pictures of Jonesy on his phone. He missed his buddy. He really fucking missed his buddy so bad. He hadn’t been getting a lot of sleep, too busy thinking about That Fucking Conversation and what he should have said differently. He didn’t feel like eating much either but he tried to anyway because he didn’t want Jonesy to notice and worry, even if sometimes he felt like vomiting after a few bites

 

The worst part about all this was that he couldn’t talk to the one person who could make it all better. Sure, Katy helped, but she didn’t listen like Jonesy did. She was either too hard with her advice or she wasn’t listening at all and she got annoyed when you repeated yourself. He couldn’t talk to his mum because she was… otherwise occupied. So the only person he could really talk to was himself and that didn’t exactly do him a whole lot of good seeing as him not knowing what to do was the problem.

 

Meanwhile, Jonesy was pacing around the house, his finger hovering over the call button.  _ I can do this. Just a simple phone call. Ask him how he’s doing. How hard could it be? Surely he’s missing me too, wondering how I’m doing, right? I’d be doing him a favor, too, making the first move and all that. Simple. Easy. Not an inconvenience at all….  _ Yet, he did not press the button and Reilly’s smirk continued to stare at him from the contact information screen.  _ Why is this so hard? We’re best friends, talking should be easy.  _ And yet, it wasn’t. He wasn’t sure why. Adrien said it was probably just too soon.  _ ‘It’s like if you broke your arm and you wanted to lift a piece of paper with it. It’s an easy task to do when your arm is fine, but not when you can’t even move it without pain.’ _ He was always saying smart stuff like that.  _ Maybe he’s right. It’s just not the right time _ , he thought.  _ It’s only been a few weeks. Better let the paint dry before we try to put on a new coat…  _

 

But... he couldn’t stop thinking about how  _ hurt _ Reilly looked. At first it was just emotional but lately he just looked... _ tired _ . And not a “sleep in a little tomorrow to catch up” kind of tired either. He knew this break was taking its toll on both of them but this…? It gave him a real uneasy feeling deep in his gut. Something definitely wasn’t right. Jonesy wished more than anything he could be there for his buddy, find out what was bringing him down like that. Of course, then he felt like a coward for not doing it.  _ Just call him for fuck’s sake! What do you really have to lose here? _ Once again, his finger hovered over the call button. He thought about calling Katy first, but that hadn’t been helping him much lately. 

 

He opted to text instead, lowering his anxiety a bit.

 

Reilly nearly dropped his phone when Jonesy’s text popped up.

 

[Text from #1 Bro]: Hey

 

[Reply]: Hey. Whazzup?

 

[From #1 Bro]: Can we meet somewhere?

 

[Reply]: Uh, sure. When?

 

[From #1 Bro]: Today. Do you wanna come by the house or go somewhere else?

 

[Reply]: Anywhere that’s not here is fine by me. Be there in an hour?

 

[From #1 Bro]: Sounds good. See you then.

 

[Reply]: See you

 

Reilly grabbed his jacket and ran out of the house. He wasn’t in a rush to go anywhere per se, he had an hour after all. But he needed out and he needed out  _ now _ . Once he reached the sanctuary of his Jeep, he rested his head against the wheel and took a few deep breaths. Jonesy wanted to talk. What did that mean? Did he want to be friends again? Cut him off completely? He was confused and he really needed to vent.

 

Katy jumped a bit when her phone rang out of the blue. “Reilly, what’s up?”

 

“Jonesy texted me and said he wants to talk. We’re meeting at the house in an hour. What does this mean? Did he say anything to you? Did  _ you _ say anything to  _ him _ ?”

 

_ Jonesy made a move? Atta boy… _ “Calm down, it’s nothing to get hysterical about. If Jonesy wants to talk, then he wants to move on. He didn’t say anything to me, but I imagine he’s ready to patch things up.”

 

Yes, patching things up would be good. That would be great. “If you say so Katy Kat. It’s just that… Well…

 

“You still feel like shit about the whole thing and you’re afraid you’re gonna mess up again?”

 

“Y-Yeah. That’s pretty much it.”

  
  


Katy sighed. “I get why you’re nervous, but I think you’ll be fine. He wouldn’t have asked to talk if he didn’t think you were both ready for it. Just go for it and try not to worry too much, okay?”

 

“O-Okay. I’ll try.” He sounded more confident than he felt. As much as he wanted to believe Jonesy forgave him and was ready to really be friends again, the little voice in the back of his head told him it was more likely that Jonesy just wanted to say bye in person. Just thinking about it made his stomach knot to Houdini contortions. “Thanks, Katy. I gotta go.” Maybe a nice, long drive would put him more at ease… 

 

Katy shook her head when he hung up. “Poor guy.”

 

“What was that about?”

 

She looked back at Wayne. “Jonesy made the first move and Reilly’s freaking out.”

 

Her phone rang again. “Speak of the devil…”

 

Jonesy was in no better condition than Reilly. “Is this even a good idea? Is it too soon? Fuck, I can’t cancel now!”

 

“Breeeeaaathe Jonesy. Why did you ask him to meet in the first place?”

 

“Haven’t you noticed how awful he looks lately? He seems so tired and I swear he’s lost some weight and not in a good way.”

 

Katy bit her lip. Now that she thought about it, Reilly  _ had _ been looking a little worse for wear. “I think you both need this meeting. I just got a call from Reilly and he’s nearly convinced himself you want to break it off in person.”

 

_ Fuck, he’s worse than I thought…. _ If  _ Reilly _ was actually being insecure, this meeting was long overdue. “Okay, okay...We’re meeting at the house in an hour. Should I move it up? Maybe it’ll be better if we just talk now.”

 

“It’s hard to say. It might do good to get it out of the way but you also might need the time to get your thoughts together.”

 

Jonesy groaned in frustration. “So basically if I wait, we might chicken out but if I push it up we might make it worse?”

 

“Pretty much. I can’t do a whole lot for ya here, except tell you that you two need to make up at some point.” Katy shrugged. “Unless you’re open to the idea of me kidnapping the two of you and refusing to let you out until you make up, which I am completely willing to do by the way.”

 

“Please don’t. I like my sanity.”

 

Katy chuckled. “Just thought I’d offer. Now, go get your friend back and don’t call me again until you do.”

 

“Sure thing, Katy Kat.” He promptly hung up and screamed into a pillow.  _ Why is everything so hard? Because Reilly isn’t here…. Fuck it. _

 

[Text to Best Flow Bro]: Hey, buddy.

 

[Reply]: Hey. Sup?

 

[To Best Flow Bro]: I know we said we’d meet in an hour but can we meet earlier?

 

Reilly’s heart nearly stopped when he read that.  _ Earlier? How much earlier? Now or in half an hour? Why did he change his mind? Would it even be okay for me to say no? I AM NOT READY FOR THIS! _

 

[Reply]: ….How much earlier?

 

[To Best Flow Bro]: How’s ten minutes sound?

 

_ NOT GOOD NOT GOOD ABORT ABORT!!!!!!!!!!!!! _

 

[Reply]: Can we make it fifteen? I’m on the other side of town right now.

 

[To Best Flow Bro]: Sounds good. See you then

 

[Reply]: Cool

  
Reilly slammed his head against the steering wheel in the hopes that he would get a concussion and be given a free pass to forgiveness. Instead he got a very loud honk and a strange look from the skids. He flipped them off and drove to Jonesy’s house. He wasn’t sure what to think. All he really knew is he could  _ not _ screw this up. Opportunities like this don’t come around everyday, after all. 


	7. A Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys are getting back together FERDA!!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of this part of my story. Yes, there will be more. It's coming. This is going to be a series now. Beta'd by the wonderful @whatdoyoumeanitsnotawesome!

Jonesy paced around the front room until he heard the Jeep pull up. He rushed to the door but hesitated to open it. His hand clenched and unclenched as he held it over the doorknob, wondering if he should wait for Reilly or open the door or maybe he should go sit down on the couch yeah that’s-

 

Reilly was more than a little surprised to see Jonesy just standing in the doorway. “Hey… buddy. How ya doin’?” 

 

“Hey… bro. Not bad. Come on in.” Jonesy didn’t miss the way Reilly hesitated to enter, despite an invitation. He also didn’t miss the way the internal debate over where to sit. Normally they’d both take the couch but them sitting together was likely off limits in his mind.  

 

Reilly definitely missed the way Jonesy didn’t miss anything and just hoped he didn’t look half as anxious as he felt. “So, um, what did you want to talk about?” he started after settling in the armchair. 

 

Jonesy mentally kicked himself for not doing this sooner as he sat on the couch across from him. “I… wanted to say I’m sorry. I said some things that I definitely regret. I… I never wanted you to go, I never even really thought about going. And… I missed you a lot. I also wanted to say sorry about keeping all that from you for so long. I... I know you’re not a bad friend. You’d never be that kind of dick. I know that. I knew it then too but-”

 

“I fucked everything up the first time and you couldn’t trust me enough to try again?” Reilly piped up in a half-whisper, staring at his hands.

 

“Yeah... kinda.” Jonesy awkwardly chuckled. He really, really hated it when his voice got all squeaky but there was fuck all he could do about it because a big part of him really wanted to just cry and have Reilly hug him and then everything would be okay and they wouldn’t be in this weird stalemate and they would play some ‘Chel and forget this ever happened, the end.

 

“It’s okay, buddy. I know I messed up.” It hurt to hear, but not even he could deny the truth of it at this point. “And... I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t’ve been so upset with you. I was a total ass.” He took a deep breath and looked Jonesy in the eyes. “I’m sorry for making you think I was that kind of friend. I know you’re not the guy who just jumps to the worst conclusions, so I know I did  _ something _ to make you think that. Besides that ‘bisexuals aren’t a thing’ bullshit, I can’t think of what I did, but I know there’s  _ something _ and I’m sorry for it.” His voice is quiet and his eyes constantly scan Jonesy’s face for a sign that he’s said something wrong. He hates the way his voice breaks every other word, like he’s about five steps away from a break down, which he probably is but he won’t admit it. Not until he’s made things right. “I’m sorry for… for trying to blame you and Katy for everything. I’m sorry for not listening to you. I’m sorry for going behind your back to pump Katy for information. I’m sorry for not being more supportive. And... I’m really sorry for tracking dirt on the floor you’d just cleaned. That was shitty.”  _ Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t make this about you, not right now, this isn’t about you. _

 

“That’s alright, buddy. I’d... kinda forgotten about that. It’s cool though…”  Actually, he had not forgotten about that and now Reilly will never find his old Shamrocks cap.

 

There was an awkward silence. After the apologies, neither of them really knew what to say or even if there was anything to say. Reilly took the chance to get a good look at Jonesy. He looked... Okay. Nothing outwardly wrong but he knew his best bro well enough to tell when something was up. He wasn’t a complete mess but this break definitely left its mark. He knew they’d gone through something like this when he and Katy had their little fling without Jonesy, though Jonesy had definitely gotten the worst of that deal. 

 

Jonesy was doing the same, taking in just how Not Good Reilly looked. He was, tired, drained, like he had this huge load he couldn’t let go of. He wasn’t sure why, surely Reilly and Katy had been talking. Of course, sometimes Katy didn’t listen too well, and she got mad when you repeated yourself so he probably didn’t go to her for everything so then- That was it, wasn’t it? Their mums were too hung up on Shoresy for either of them to really feel comfortable talking to them about anything. Jonesy had had Adrien to talk to this whole time but Reilly... If he didn’t feel like talking to Katy Kat, he didn’t have anyone else to turn to. It wasn’t usually a problem because he’d always had Jonesy but now he  _ didn’t _ have Jonesy so he had no one to really talk to except himself which probably hadn’t done him much good, had it?

 

Reilly bit his lip. This silence wasn’t good, it’d gone on for too long, someone needed to break it. “So, uh, how’ve you been?”

 

The question snapped Jonesy out of his train of thought. “Oh, me? I’ve been...okay. I-I missed you, a lot. But my, uh, boyfriend came by a lot and he... kept me company when I needed someone to talk to.”

 

_ Boyfriend...  _ “That... that’s good. You weren’t totally alone.”

 

Jonesy chuckled nervously. “Yeah, I’m... pretty lucky to have him. Anyway, how’ve you been?”

 

“I’ve been... okay. Little bummed, but okay. Burning through a lot of gas though. I had to keep running errands to get out of the house since Shorsesy decided to set up camp there a couple weeks ago.”

 

_ Fuck, he had it worse than I thought… _ Being alone sucked, but it must’ve sucked even more if you had  _ fucking Shoresy _ there to chirp you all day. “Fucking Shoresy.”

 

“Yeah, fuck Shoresy.” This was nice, comfortable, normal. For the first time in nearly a month, Reilly wasn’t completely trapped in his head. It felt good. Really good. 

 

“So... does this mean you’re coming back?”

 

“... If you’re sure you want me to come back... yeah, I think so.”

 

“Buddy…” Jonesy isn’t sure how to handle this. He’s never seen Reilly so... not Reilly. “I really, really missed you. It was like there was just this... hole in my life where you used to be and then…”

 

“It was like you lost your right arm or something? Something you never really thought about before and then it was gone and you miss it like hell?”

 

“Yeah... It was exactly like that…”

 

“I felt that way too, buddy, exactly like that…” The weight that had been nearly crushing Reilly’s chest for the past few weeks felt a little lighter. It was just nice to hear that Jonesy had missed him as much as he missed Jonesy.

 

“So... yeah, I really want you to come back. It’s been... super quiet around here without you.”  _ Super wrong without you _ . “Also, Adrien sucks at ‘Chel and I haven’t had a proper tourney in a while.”

 

Reilly chuckled. “Well, I guess I better pack up my stuff then. I’ve... I’ve missed me being here too.”

 

They both stood to say goodbye. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Jonesy pulled Reilly into a tight hug. Reilly couldn’t help but lean into it, resting his head on Jonesy’s shoulder. Neither of them said anything, everything had already been said. They took the moment to just... exist with each other for a bit, catch up on what they’d missed.

 

They gave each other one last squeeze before letting go. “I’ll go get my stuff. Should be back in time for a game of ‘chel before dinner.”

 

“Sounds good, buddy. Welcome back.”

 

“Glad to be back, bro.”

 

They shared a soft smile and one last hug before Reilly went back to his mum’s to get all his stuff. While he was gone, Jonesy speed-cleaned the house, cancelled his plans with Adrien for the next week and a half, and proceeded to drive Katy absolutely insane. “You told me not to call you until I got Reilly back and I got him back! He’s back! He’s back, he’s back, he’s back, he’s back, he’s back, HE’S BACK!!! I’m so fucking happy right now you have no idea! What do you think I should make for dinner? He likes lasagne but I feel like I should just order a pizza or something so we can just get straight into rippin’ chel, though he does like those microwave-”

 

“Jonesy! I swear to God if you don’t calm the fuck down I’m going to strangle you through the phone.”

 

“Aww, katy. You  _ do  _ care. Seriously though, what should I do for dinner?”

 

Katy groans. “If I wasn’t so happy for you two, I’d tell you how much less annoying you were when you weren’t talking to each other.”

 

“Katyyyyy…”

 

“Fiiiiine. It’s his first meal back home, right? Do something normal. Relax, throw a DiGorno’s in the oven and blast through those All-Dressed chips.”

 

“Oh, good idea! Wait, do I even have All-Dressed chips?”

 

“ _ You _ don’t know what’s in your pantry?”

 

“It’s been a weird month, okay? Let me be disorganized in peace,” Jonesy grumbled, silently cursing when he saw that he did not, in fact, have any All-Dressed chips.  _ I should start charging Adrien for groceries with how much he eats…  _

 

Katy chuckled. “Whatever. I’m glad you two are back together. Say hi to Reilly for me!” She then hung up and proceeded to turn off her phone because her work was done.

 

Reilly packed up all his crap in record time. He was leaving that house and he was leaving in  _ NOW. _ Nope, no time for dinner, fuck taco night, just a quick hug and a ‘Fuck you Shoresy, you only smash so many women because you’re shit at friendships and nobody likes you,’ before he’s blazing down the street back home.  _ Back to Jonesy. _

 

It was strange, Reilly thought, to know he could walk back in without knocking or any sort of announcement and yet still get the sense it would be an intrusion not too. It was strange to see the place he’d made a home in seem like a stranger’s house. As he walked back to his room, he couldn’t help but notice the small differences. An extra pair of shoes here, the bottle of french cologne on the counter, and  _ Is that an air freshener in the washroom? Who put that there…?  _ There was nothing majorly new, aside from the copy of ‘Lord of the Rings’ on Jonesy’s side table, but there was a sense of some new presence in the house. Reilly knew he was welcome and Jonesy had missed him and he’d missed Jonesy but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was intruding on something.

 

It was strange to just sit down on the couch and set up the ‘chel tourney while Jonesy cut the pizza. It was strange to get back up again because he hadn’t taken his shoes off by the door and by now he knew better than to put his feet up on the coffee table like Jonesy hadn’t just cleaned it. Reilly frowned a little when he saw some shmelt had messed up his top tier lineup and he had to spend almost five minutes setting it right again. It was weird to think about Jonesy playing without him and even weirder to think about him playing with someone else and he really didn’t want to think about how far they drifted in a few weeks he’d rather just play the game and pig out on food right now. 

 

It was great to have Reilly back. Jonesy couldn’t keep the smile off his face, it would be impossible even if he wanted to. It was great to stuff his face with pizza and chips and not have to worry about using a napkin. It was great to just be able chill on the couch for a few hours and play a game without having to explain all the rules and controls fifty times. It was even better when they could just...exist in each other’s presence. Sure, he was really feeling things with Adrien but the boy could talk a parrot’s ear off and sometimes he just wanted to  _ sleep _ on the couch like he did with Reilly sometimes. It was great to have his bro back.

 

And sure, there were off moments. Like when he had to wait for Reilly to put his team back together because Adrien messed it up and he had to admit to playing with someone else. And then he realized he’d run out of Reilly’s favorite soda was so he just kept bringing Puppers so he wouldn’t have to admit that. Oh, and then Adrien called to ask why he cancelled everything so he had to pause the game and go into the other room to explain he’s allowed to have a life and Reilly was back and he just wanted to spend more time with his best bro and he’d see him again next week  _ okay? Okay. Love you too, babe. Bye _ . 

 

As the night went on, it was all a little less strange. Reilly was fine just getting up and taking a beer out of the fridge. It was a little more normal for him to just blast through the game, not even caring if he won or lost. He was just glad to be back. There were still those odd little moments like when neither of them being in the fist-bump rhythm and interrupting each other every few sentences or so but that was normal, right? Just because people fall out of sync sometimes, doesn’t mean they stay that way, right?

 

Things slotted back into place a few months later. Reilly and Jonesy were relaxing at home as neither of them felt like going out that night and they had plenty of beer at home anyhow. Back to their usual set up, feet on the couch and ‘chel on the screen. Food wrappers littered the floor around the couch and for the first time in a long time Jonesy didn’t give a single shit about it because it would be just as clean if he handled it in the morning. 

 

It was nearly 2 o’clock in the morning by the time Jonesy was able to stop giving in to Reilly’s pleas for  _ just one more game buddy come one one more round please I promise this is the last one.  _ Someone had to be the responsible one and while they didn’t have much to do as the season was over and gains were no longer a necessity, it helps to have more than a few hours of sleep before going to the gym. “Come on buddy, time to hit the sheets.”

 

Reilly groaned and threw a pillow at him. “I don’t like it when you get all responsible.”

 

“Too bad. Come on, sheets.” Jonesy stood up and started making his way back to his room.

 

“Can’t. Didn’t get around to putting up my laundry.”

 

“Seriously?” Now it was Jonesy’s turn to groan. “I can’t keep doing that for you.”

 

Reilly shrugged. “My laundry, my timetable. Don’t worry, bro; I’ll get it done tomorrow.”

 

“That’s what you said yesterday.”

 

“And this time I mean it.”

 

Jonesy rolled his eyes and heavily resisted the urge to put his hands on his hips. Who’da thought he’d be the mom friend? “Well, until it gets done you’ll be sleeping on the floor or the couch.”

 

“But they’re sooooo uncomfortable. Have mercy on me! We can share the couch back like when we first got this place and neither of us had a bed. Remember that?”

 

Jonesy managed to hold back a laugh at Reilly’s dramatics and shook his head. “Sorry, bro. I already did my laundry and now I get to sleep on a nice, comfy mattress.”

 

Reilly pulled out his best puppy-dog-eyes-and-pout combo. “But budddyyy! The couch is better with a bro-pillow.”

 

“................Don’t give me that look.”

 

“Pleeeeeeeasssssseee? Because you love me?”

 

“.............Alright. I’ll grab some sheets and you clean up the Puppers. No sense in breaking an ankle first thing in the morning..” He really didn’t mind too much, after all, there’s nothing wrong with a good bro-sleep on the couch, but it still bugged him how often Reilly could just break through his resolve like that. He really had to start working on that….tomorrow.

 

They settled themselves on the couch like they had when they first moved in together a couple years ago, with Jonesy getting the joy of lumpy couch cushions on his back and Reilly hanging his feet off the arm of the couch in a way that made his ankles hurt the next day but he didn’t really care that much. Reilly grumbled about Jonesy getting too many gains because  _ you used to be just like a pillow and now you’re all hard. Too much of a good thing is not a good thing, bro _ and Reilly’s hair ended up in his mouth about halfway through and he had to wake up and try to spit it out without waking up Reilly. It was perfect.

 

_ Welcome home, buddy. _


End file.
